SOUTH HOBART 2-0 KINGBOROUGH LIONS UNITED
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Reigning champions and second-placed South Hobart got the three points they needed to keep up the pressure on Forestry Tasmania Southern Premier League leaders Tilford Zebras, who were due to go into action against Clarence United as soon as this game finished.
The first half was an even affair, with neither side having any clear-cut chances.
South Hobart had plenty of possession but, to Kingborough’s credit, they continually forced South to play the ball across in front of their defence and rarely allowed them to penetrate.
Kingborough goalkeeper David Leamey was alert to any threats that did arise and he was quickly off his line to get to the ball before a South Hobart player could nip in.
He also handled the few crosses well, either catching the ball or punching it to safety.
The Lions may have solved their goalkeeping problem for the moment.
The breakthrough for South Hobart came somewhat fortuitously two minutes after the resumption, and it came inevitably through ‘the curse of the ex’.
Gary Upton, a former Kingborough player, gained possession deep on the right and his cross towards the far post, probably aimed for Kostas Kanakaris, floated over Leamey and inside the far top corner.
But, a goal is a goal and South Hobart led 1-0.
Three minutes later, Bart Beecroft, playing his first full match since recovering from an injury that has kept him out since the first league game of the season, almost scored at the near post, but his effort was deflected for a corner.
With 15 minutes remaining, Liam Scott pinged in a cross from the left and substitute Julius Ross headed home to make it 2-0 and immediately ran to the corner flag and somewhat half-heartedly punched the flag, a la Tim Cahill of the Socceroos and Everton.
Substitute Ricki Eaves went close in the 80th minute after good work on the right by Upton and Shae Hickey, but 2-0 was good enough for the reigning champions to apply pressure on the Zebras.
Former South Hobart stars Jonathon Lo and Tom Roach were interested spectators in the stands. They now play for Somerset in the Forestry Tasmania Northern Premier League as they pursue their medical studies in the North-West of the State and had the day off. Somerset, incidentally, cruised to a 4-1 win over bottom-side Launceston United despite their absence.
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- South Hobart coach, Ken Morton, said:
“Comfortable today. I thought we played well enough to have won the game by a few more goals.
“Happy with the performance. Maybe should have done better with possession in the first half.
“I thought we controlled the tempo of the game, the rhythm of the game, and we had probably seventy-five per cent possession through the game.
“Three points. That’s what we needed and that’s what we got.”
- Kingborough Lions United coach, Geoff Freeman, said:
“I thought it was a reasonable game.
“The conditions weren’t easy to play in and for the first half we definitely matched them.
“Second half, we went down to an unfortunate cross from Gazz [Gary Upton], and then we should probably have equalised straight away. We had a chance with Tom McDonald at the far post and probably had a few queuing up behind that to score as well, but it wasn’t to be.
“And then, they probably had the better of the game from then on and they deserved to win from the point of view that they took their chances and they created probably two or three good chances.
“But, it wasn’t really, I suppose, much of a game for chances. There weren’t many for either side.
“I thought we battled well. Later on we showed the effects of not being able to train, but I suppose we’re in the same boat as most other clubs, so good on ‘em.”
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South Hobart: Moncur - Upton (Pennicott 85), Ludford, Cooper, Scott - Hickey, Heerey, Beecroft, D Brown, Abbott (Ross 58) - Kanakaris (Eaves 75)
Goals: Upton 47, Ross 75
Kingborough Lions United: Leamey - Palmer, D Pearce, Iseli, Wells - T Pearce, Andrews, Marchioli, McDonald - Bremner (Greg Freeman 65), White (R Hinkley 74) (Substitutes not used: Bevan, Voss)
Att: 100
Ref: S Collins
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